The Potential for Underutilized Fruits of Northern 
India to Improve Food Security and their Role in 
Climate Resilient- A Review

 

Indira Devi, Jagveer Singh

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Received 18 January 2023, Accepted 15 May 2023, Published on 18 August 2023

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ABSTRACT

 

Underutilized fruits or less known fruits are the storehouse of nutrition and can play an important role in providing food security to people. As the name indicates underutilized fruits are those fruits which are neglected and rarely eaten. However, these fruits are rich in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, energy, vitamins, folic acids and dietary fibers. Since the dawn of time, these fruits have also been employed in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine for their medicinal properties. Due to the lack of outstanding flavor and attractive color, their consumption is quite low. The majority of these fruits have not gone through any domestication or selection processes. Their cultivation is extremely limited, and they primarily grow in the wild. These fruit species are appropriate for cultivation in disaster and drought-prone locations because of their resistance to biotic and abiotic challenges. The resistance genes present in these fruits can be utilized for the crop improvement program. In India, these fruits are mainly grown in a tropical wet and dry climate and also has importance in marginal land. To meet the nutritional needs of the expanding population, these fruits need to be domesticated and commercially grown. The cultivation of these fruits, which are a significant source of medicinal benefits, might assist in returning to the Ayurveda approach of treating various illnesses.

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Keywords   Underutilized fruits, Nutritional values, Food security,  Climate resilient.